How I Food Prep for a Healthy Week with 5 Things

I believe that planning is THE KEY to eating healthy and staying on a healthy track. At least once per week you see our kitchen filled with bowls that have different kinds of beans soaking overnight, our fridge filled with two gigantic mason jars of green smoothies, and our freezer full of washed and cut veggies to make even more green smoothies throughout the week.

I want to make sure that when I lack creativity in the kitchen, am too busy, or just feel blah even thinking about what to make, I’ve already set myself up for the week. I always have greens, beans/lentils, some starchy veggies and probiotic veggies (like kimchi or sauerkraut) that I use constantly in different types of dishes. Here’s an example what 5 items I prepare on Sunday to get me through the week:

1. NUTRITIOUS SALAD

Greens (romaine, arugula & kale are my salad faves)

Tomato/Carrots/Olives/Cucumber/Sweet Onion (yum factor)

Chopped basil, cilantro, or mint (flavor explosion)

Chop and store in glass containers in the fridge. Keep tomatoes and onions separate from other ingredients. Top with sunflower/pumpkin seeds for crunch factor. To make it creamy, add half an avocado.

2. PROTEIN PACKED GRAINS

I cook one big pot of of these and store in the fridge after fluffing it:

Quinoa

Amaranth

Brown/black rice

Millet

or any ancient grain blend (I currently have quinoa, amaranth & millet mixture)

3. YUMMY DRESSING

4. ROASTED THINGS, LIKE SWEET POTATOES

For a lazy cook like me, anything I can just chop, season and throw in the oven, is a lifesaver. That’s why I love roasting pretty much everything. Plus the flavors intensify when roasted. My roasting faves are broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, mushrooms and sweet potatoes.

I use about 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped to bite-sized chunks, tossed with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and cinnamon, spread evenly on a baking sheet and roasted at 400 for about 40 minutes (depending what size your chunks are).

5. LEGUMES LIKE BEANS, LENTILS, CHICKPEAS

I love warm elements in my salads, but these you can use either warmed up or cold, because they are just simply magical like that. You can roast the chickpeas and make them nice and spicy.

Yes! I love meal prep to prepare for the week ahead! My favorite plant-based one is mason jar salads. I have one (almost) every day for lunch! So easy to prep all 6 salads at one time, including the dressing!